April 1, 2020
A collaborative effort by the Florida Institute of Education at the
University of North Florida, Early Learning Coalition of Duval, Alliance for
Jacksonville Early Learning and UNF Crawford Distinguished Professor Fund
The Virtual Early Learning Highway for Young Children, a free, online resource
available to assist families in helping their young children continue to learn
while being at home due to COVID-19 is launching Wednesday, April 1.
This resource
is the result of a collaborative partnership by the Florida Institute of
Education at the University of North Florida, Early Learning Coalition of
Duval, Alliance for Jacksonville Early Learning, and the Crawford Early
Childhood Research and Education Distinguished Professor Fund.
Parents
and teachers are being called on to develop ways to help children continue
learning while being at home, yet children from birth to age five do not have
the support infrastructure found in the K-12 sector. This limited
infrastructure has placed an extraordinary burden on families as some do not
have access to computers or tablets.
The
Virtual Early Learning Highway for Young Children can be viewed by anyone, at
any time, on any internet capable device or mobile phone – a technology
platform that dramatically increases accessibility for more families and young
children.
Key
purposes of the Virtual Early Learning Highway are to:
-
Provide families with
daily learning-focused activities that they can do with their 3- and 4-year old
children Monday through Friday – designed to foster early literacy and learning
success by promoting a learning mindset at home.
-
Help 3- and 4-year old
children continued to feel connected and nurtured while a significant part of
their routine has been disrupted.
The
Virtual Early Learning Highway for YoungChildren can be accessed at www.unf.edu/fie/. Users can click on
the “road markers” to access videos, routines and activities. Every week,
families will have a unique daily plan that includes seven different road-marker
activities to watch and complete with their children.
The
Early Learning Coalition of Duval
The
Early Learning Coalition of Duval (ELC) is Jacksonville’s first stop for early
learning through collaborative leadership that ensures: all children receive
high quality care and learning, all families have the support they need for
their children to succeed, and all children are ready for their academic and
lifelong success. More information at
www.elcduval.org
.
Alliance
for Jacksonville Early Learning
Hosted by the Early Learning Coalition of
Duval, Alliance for Jacksonville Early Learning (AJEL) members include
Community Foundation, Duval County Public Schools, Episcopal Children’s
Services, Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida,
Jacksonville Public Library, Kids Hope Alliance, Lutheran Services Head Start,
Mayor’s Office, City of Jacksonville, United Way of Northeast Florida, and
citizens who advocate for high-quality learning opportunities in our city.
The
Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida
The Florida Institute of Education at the University of North
Florida (FIE) provides statewide leadership to improve education at all levels
by working collaboratively with Florida’s universities, community colleges,
public schools, school readiness agencies, and communities. FIE works with
partners
to
address critical educational needs, support innovation, and engage in
problem-focused research to enhance achievement for all students – especially
those at-risk. More information at
www.unf.edu/fie/
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